Saturday, December 27, 2008

Friday, December 26, 2008

Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God: your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.Nelson Mandela

Thursday, December 25, 2008

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set ourhearts right.Confucius

Saturday, December 20, 2008

The art of life is to show your hand. There is no diplomacy like candor. You may lose by it now and then, but it will be a loss well gained if you do. Nothing is so boring as having to keep up a deception.E. V. Lucas

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.Greek saying

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, 'We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.'Jim Collins

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all opposition until they attain their goal. There may be no heroic connotation to the word 'persistence,' but the quality is to the character of man what carbon is to steel.Napoleon Hill

Sunday, October 12, 2008

While for some of us, the election date has been permanently stamped in our brains. For others, it could easily be forgotten. Don't forget to vote this Tuesday, October 14th.

I have heard from individuals wondering about strategic voting. I want to be the MP for Perth-Wellington. That being said, I want people to vote for me, not against someone else. I see the NDP platform as strong and myself as a strong candidate. I encourage you to encourage family and friends to check out http://www.ndp.ca/ and http://www.kerrymcmanus.com/ for more info.

Time is running out and while I know there's lots of support, your help could make the difference in who becomes the MP in Perth-Wellington.

Please help make sure everyone has the information they need on me and the NDP. Specifically, please consider emailing and/or talking to family and friends; inviting your friends to the facebook group - Elect Kerry McManus MP Perth/Wellington and changing your profile pic to the 'Elect Kerry McManus' sign for two days.

The percentage of eligible voters who normally don't vote is huge. I believe that if we could reach more of the voters in our riding, we could see a huge voter turn-out and win this election.

"The gatekeepers for our culture are not the heroes or the supermen, but the common person. The individuals who represent the ideal inspire masses to pursue the values and virtues of their people; but it is the common person within each society who establishes the boundaries that are required to remain a part of the clan. It is not the extraordinary standard but the minimum standard that is the critical boundary in shaping a culture...It's easy to confuse the minimum with the extraordinary. We do it all the time. In fact, organizations continuously face that crisis. Whenever someone fails to live up to an understood expectation, we are forced to make some kind of reevaluation. Either our standard should change or our actions have to change. When we live below a standard, it is simply human nature to redefine the standard as unreasonable and establish standards that our patterns are already accomplishing. We keep lowering the bar until we clear it."Erwin McManus, from An Unstoppable Force

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Earlier this week I met with Eugene Sidler's grade five class at Arthur Public School. We had a lively discussion about why I have chosen to enter the political arena and the key issues I hope to address.

I told them about how when I was eight I entered a church and saw a large box announcing there was a famine in Africa and a need for clothes to be donated. Despite being young, I recognized that more than used clothing was needed and I recruited my next-door neighbour and off we went caroling to raise money to send to Africa.

While this event happened about thirty years ago, it reflects how I live. Learning changes me. When I understand an issue that is leaving individuals in a precarious position, I look for ways to help.

Today one student asked whether I had wanted to be a politician when I was young. That was one of the easiest questions I've had so far in this campaign. No, the political arena has not been a dream of mine. I chose to enter because I recognize that right now we are at a crossroads. The scientists have told us that our lifestyles need to change. We need to pursue a sustainable vision for Perth-Wellington, Canada and the world.

What is sustainability? The best definition I have heard came from Chuck Hopkins of UNESCO – enough for everyone forever. As we meet our needs and desires, we need to be sure that we are not impacting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The New Democrats have a strong sustainable vision. We recognize that there are immediate concerns –the loss of jobs and health crises - that must be addressed while building a long-term vision that protects its citizens – universal health care, fair trade, restoring foreign relations, supporting education and training, reducing our carbon footprint, protecting food sovereignty and food security.

We are all in this together. While I am not a farmer, a nurse or a police officer, I respect that there are challenges faced that could be improved by a change in governmental policy. I may not know the details of your concerns but I welcome your valued opinion and expertise as we work together to address your concerns in Ottawa.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Friday, September 26, 2008

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

What a day! I learned to drive a tractor and attended my first all-candidates meeting as a candidate.

Spending time with Tom and Jackie is always a treat. They are both such great people. A few months ago when I joked about not being able to run to represent Perth-Wellington because I couldn't drive a tractor, Tom offered to teach me. Turns out he was right, it was easy.

A morning on a farm doesn't make me an expert on agriculture. Part of my strength as a candidate is that I recognize the importance of listening to others and learning from many different perspectives in developing solutions. My focus is on finding solutions not assigning blame.

I am thankful for the opportunity to meet constituents across Perth-Wellington over the next few weeks to learn more about the challenges and successes happening in our riding. I am thankful that we can come together across differences to work for the common good. If we happen to cross paths, I encourage you to share your stories with me.

Over the past few years, I've realized how fortunate I am to live in a country where we can freely share different views without fear. Tonight's all-candidates reinforced that reality for me. I appreciated the candor of individuals who shared the challenges they are facing with the ripple effect of local lay-offs. These are difficult times for many individuals and families. While we debate our views on policies, my hope is that we never forget that real people's lives will be affected by our action and inaction.

"Aspire to decency. Practice civility toward one another. Admire and emulate ethical behavior wherever you find it. Apply a rigid standard of morality to your lives; and if, periodically, you fail - as you surely will - adjust your lives, not the standards."